RNK
24th March 2007, 04:28
Today the provincial organization responsible for overseeing elections conduct made a ruling on an issue that has been in the news for the past few days concerning whether Muslim women wearing the hijab (the veil that covers their faces) should be allowed when voting in provincial ballots.
Leaders of all the major parties involved in the provincial debate spoke against the hijab, inparticular Mr. Mario Dumont, whose right-wing Action Democratique Quebec Party believes, among other thing, that Quebec should be less accomidating for religious and cultural practices by ethnic minorities.
Since the story first broke several days ago, elections Quebec has received "threatening letters" concerning the topic. While officials downplayed this in interviews, saying they wanted to "avoid people showing up with Darth Vader masks", the true nature of these threats were very apparent. The lead official behind the elections organization has since aquired several bodyguards who will accompany him until the elections are over (on Monday).
So today, due to this pressure, the elections board has decided to re-write the law that once protected hijab-wearers, demanding that they must now remove their veil in order to vote. Citing the need to accurately identify voters via photo ID, the move is claimed to be to protect against voting fraud. However, the law already had a long-standing compromise; in the past, hijab-wearers, or any others who could not/refused to show their faces, were allowed to vote if they brought one person to vouche for their identity as well as two identifying documents that included the voter's address (for voter identification).
This move comes after a year of increased pressure on Muslims in Quebec. Over the past few months inparticular several high-profile cases involving the hijab have sparked outrage across Quebec. The town of Herouxville made international attention when it passed a law to "adopt a declaration of "norms'' that tells immigrants how to fit" (quoted from the CTV), as well as banning the hijab. Quebec public security officials declared a ban on hijabs for prison guards, claiming they could be used by inmates to strangle guards (but did they ban necklaces?). And recently, a Quebec soccer association decided that referees were not allowed to wear hijabs.
Taken on their own, these laws may be practical and understandable. But put into the context of this apparent "assault" on Muslims, it paints a much darker picture, particularly given the ominous line adopted by Herouxville, and the fact that the law was changed due to threats of violence. What does that say about us? What does it say when we enact laws that strip minorities of their ethnic traditions because of racist threats?
Now, don't get me wrong. I share the same aversion to religious indoctrination as the rest of us. But I also hold a strong aversion to discrimination, particularly when it is against a minority group that has already suffered quite a lot.
So what is everyone else's thoughts on this matter? Personally, I think I'm going to show up at my local voting location with a sign saying "No hijab? No Cross, no Star Of David..." Well, I don't know any other religious symbols.. you get the idea. Hopefully someone will attack me. I should perhaps bring a comrade with a camera.
Leaders of all the major parties involved in the provincial debate spoke against the hijab, inparticular Mr. Mario Dumont, whose right-wing Action Democratique Quebec Party believes, among other thing, that Quebec should be less accomidating for religious and cultural practices by ethnic minorities.
Since the story first broke several days ago, elections Quebec has received "threatening letters" concerning the topic. While officials downplayed this in interviews, saying they wanted to "avoid people showing up with Darth Vader masks", the true nature of these threats were very apparent. The lead official behind the elections organization has since aquired several bodyguards who will accompany him until the elections are over (on Monday).
So today, due to this pressure, the elections board has decided to re-write the law that once protected hijab-wearers, demanding that they must now remove their veil in order to vote. Citing the need to accurately identify voters via photo ID, the move is claimed to be to protect against voting fraud. However, the law already had a long-standing compromise; in the past, hijab-wearers, or any others who could not/refused to show their faces, were allowed to vote if they brought one person to vouche for their identity as well as two identifying documents that included the voter's address (for voter identification).
This move comes after a year of increased pressure on Muslims in Quebec. Over the past few months inparticular several high-profile cases involving the hijab have sparked outrage across Quebec. The town of Herouxville made international attention when it passed a law to "adopt a declaration of "norms'' that tells immigrants how to fit" (quoted from the CTV), as well as banning the hijab. Quebec public security officials declared a ban on hijabs for prison guards, claiming they could be used by inmates to strangle guards (but did they ban necklaces?). And recently, a Quebec soccer association decided that referees were not allowed to wear hijabs.
Taken on their own, these laws may be practical and understandable. But put into the context of this apparent "assault" on Muslims, it paints a much darker picture, particularly given the ominous line adopted by Herouxville, and the fact that the law was changed due to threats of violence. What does that say about us? What does it say when we enact laws that strip minorities of their ethnic traditions because of racist threats?
Now, don't get me wrong. I share the same aversion to religious indoctrination as the rest of us. But I also hold a strong aversion to discrimination, particularly when it is against a minority group that has already suffered quite a lot.
So what is everyone else's thoughts on this matter? Personally, I think I'm going to show up at my local voting location with a sign saying "No hijab? No Cross, no Star Of David..." Well, I don't know any other religious symbols.. you get the idea. Hopefully someone will attack me. I should perhaps bring a comrade with a camera.